Last year, Sidney Crosby said he was going to miss the NHL All-Star game to protest the league’s player safety policy. As time elapsed, it was his concussion problems that kept him out of the All-Star game.

Now, the other famous hockey star, Alexander Ovechkin, decided he would not participate in the most thrilling game of the NHL season. On Jan. 23, Brendan Shanahan (Senior Vice President Player Safety and Hockey Operations) announced that Ovechkin would be suspended three games after his hit on Pittsburg Penguins defenseman Zbynek Michalek. Shanahan said Ovechkin “launched” himself at Michalek, leaving his feet and made unnecessary head contact.

“The moment Ovechkin launches himself into the air prior to the hit he becomes responsible for any contact to the head,” was Shanahan’s explanation for suspending arguably the league’s most interesting player. Incidentally, the NHL’s All-Star game fell right between Ovechkin’s suspended games.

Athletes like major league catcher Jorge Posada are truly a thing of the past.

The 40-year-old backstop hung up his cleats last week, officially retiring from baseball and the New York Yankees, a team he spent all 17 years of his professional career with. Like many of the Yankee greats before him, Posada stuck out every single minute of his major league tenure in one uniform. It doesn’t happen often, but ball players who wear the Yankee pinstripes seem to know a thing or two about being faithful.

In the completely unusual instance that the Yanks actually bring up a minor leaguer from their own farm system, it seems that player will stay in the Big Apple until they’re ready to call it quits. It must be the nostalgia of the pinstripes or just the history behind the team. Whatever it is, players who come up through New York’s system are some of the most faithful athletes to one team than literally any other sport I can think of. It’s somewhat hard to believe considering the Yanks are regarded by most fans as the Sith Lords of baseball with their high-dollar spending. But the proof is out there for anyone to validate my claim.

The 2011 Super Bowl will feature a rematch of 2008’s classic Giants–Patriots showdown. The Giants are coming in hot, but the Patriots are the favorite to hoist the Lombardi Trophy. Couch Side Show bloggers Chuck Constantino and Trevor Gould weigh in on the matchup in part three of their Super Bowl preview.

Coaching

TCG (Trevor Courtland Gould): Bill Belichick, the most emotionless man on the planet, is a genius. His offensive and defensive schemes and strategies are unrivaled, and you would be kidding yourself to think he hasn’t forgotten about the 2008 Super Bowl loss. There is no better coach in football.

CC (Chuck Constantino): Belichick. The man’s a genius; his adjustments and complex defensive schemes will be the difference. Plus, he is definitely still ticked about that ’08 loss.

Intangibles

TCG: While the Giants are on fire, the Patriots are a well-run and well-oiled machine lead by easily the most brilliant man in professional football. Plus, they are out for blood after their 2008 loss.

CC: The Giants are hot and are the wildcard. Every year a wildcard team stuns the experts, and makes it to the Super bowl. On the other hand, there is no David Tyree to make a circus catch. This one is close, but I pick the Pats, they’re too hard to game plan for.

Chicago Bulls point guard Derrick Rose missed two clutch free throws down the stretch in Chicago's loss to the Miami Heat on Sunday. Photo by: Derrick Story / Flickr

The Big Three versus the MVP. That was the showdown in South Beach on Sunday. The Miami Heat and the Chicago Bulls, the clear top-two teams in the East and quite possibly the entire league, squared off for the first time since their Eastern Conference Finals encounter in May. Unfortunately for the Bulls though, they came up short in the end just as they did a mere eight months ago.

Derrick Rose, the youngest player ever to win the NBA’s MVP, has openly shouldered the blame for the Bulls’ failure in the ECF. The five-game series loss ate at him alive and motivated him throughout the extended lockout-induced offseason. Even as he downplayed Sunday’s matchup against the Heatles, it was very apparent that he wanted this game bad.

In fact, up until the final 22.7 seconds of the game, D-Rose appeared to be on a mission to will his team to victory, to make amends for his “shortcomings” back in May. Rose could not be kept out of the paint, crossing his defender up and repeatedly twisting, spinning and weaving his way to the basket for layups. Then just as he had all game, he got to the free-throw line with a chance to give the Bulls their first lead of the game with 22.7 seconds left to play in the game. Yet despite a perfect 29-29 mark this season in the fourth quarter, Rose missed not only his first free throw, but his second as well, and the Bulls dropped a heartbreaker 97-93.

The 2011 Super Bowl will feature a rematch of 2008’s classic Giants–Patriots showdown. The Giants are coming in hot, but the Patriots are the favorite to hoist the Lombardi Trophy. Couch Side Show bloggers Chuck Constantino and Trevor Gould weigh in on the matchup.

Defensive Line

Trevor Courtland Gould (TCG): The Giants possess a defensive line that makes offensive lineman quake in their shoes. They are athletic, relentless, and have a mean streak to them. When Justin Tuck isn’t repping Subway sandwiches, he is wrecking havoc against opposing offenses. Linval Joseph and Chris Canty are solid tackles, and Jason Pierre-Paul has established himself as one of the premier athletic freaks in the NFL. And when one of them is tired, in comes veteran Osi Umenyiora, who is probably extra angry due to being relegated to back-up duty. This defensive line is scary.

Chuck Constantino (CC): This isn’t even close; the Giants hands down own the scariest defensive line in football. The speed and relentlessness of the front four cannot be simulated during practice leading up to the big game. These big uglies will hit Tom Brady all night.

The 2011 Super Bowl will feature a rematch of 2008’s classic Giants–Patriots showdown. The Giants are coming in hot, but the Patriots are the favorite to hoist the Lombardi Trophy. Couch Side Show bloggers Chuck Constantino and Trevor Gould weigh in on the matchup.

Quarterbacks

Tom Brady. Photo by Jeffrey Beall / Flickr

TCG (Trevor Courtland Gould): Tom Brady, the one and only. He is too good, too clutch, and too fearless to be denied his fourth Super Bowl championship. He has established an unshakable rapport with his receivers and tight ends, and at the end of the day is one of the greatest players to ever set foot on a football field.

CC (Chuck Constantino): Tom Brady. His drive and determination are second to none. Brady holds total control of his offense and will simply play chess with the giants secondary. While Eli Manning is on fire right now, his receivers are constantly bailing him out on questionable throws. For every dime Manning throws, there’s sure to be a few more ducks.

Fan poll

Top Posts & Pages

The At the Buzzer crew goes in hard on Jackbox Games in a heavy recording session, tackling Drawful 2 and titles from the new Jackbox Party Pack 3 with a long list of friends of the show! As guests come and go, who will emerge victorious in each game? As an added bonus, we’re still … Continue reading Let’s Play Trivia Murder Party (Part 16) →

Episode 255: Insert Title Here — The gang runs down a few video games like Final Fantasy XV, Kingdom Hearts 3, Last Guardian and Last of Us 2. Also, Chris starts a fight with Michaela, Michelle makes a heartwarming animal friend, and Shaun wants the whole story. http://recordings.talkshoe.com/TC-96955/TS-1133831.mp3 Links Chris on That Beautiful Life Credits […]

The At the Buzzer crew goes in hard on Jackbox Games in a heavy recording session, tackling Drawful 2 and titles from the new Jackbox Party Pack 3 with a long list of friends of the show! As guests come and go, who will emerge victorious in each game? As an added bonus, we’re still … Continue reading Let’s Play Trivia Murder Party (Part 15) →

Here are the day’s minor moves: Southpaw Sean Burnett will head to camp with the Phillies, according to SB Nation’s Chris Cotillo (via Twitter). If he can crack the roster, Burnett will receive a $1.25MM salary if and when he pitches in the majors, per Ben Nicholson-Smith of Sportsnet.ca (Twitter links). The deal also includes $1.75MM…

The Phillies have agreed to a minor-league deal with outfielder Daniel Nava, Matt Gelb of the Philadelphia Inquirer reports on Twitter. Nava, 33, spent last year with the Angels and (briefly) the Royals. It has been some time since Nava was a productive major leaguer. He put up a roughly league-average batting line in 2014…

The Orioles’ preferred option behind the plate is free-agent backstop Welington Castillo, according to a report from Dan Connolly of BaltimoreBaseball.com. Interest had previously been reported, and Robert Murray of Fan Rag suggested yesterday that there was some momentum building towards a deal. Baltimore has continued to discuss a possible multi-year contr […]

We at Hoops Rumors love interacting with our readers. This is why we provide an opportunity for you to hit us up with your questions in our weekly mailbag feature, which is posted each Sunday. Have a question regarding player movement, free agent rumors, the salary cap, the NBA draft, or the top storylines of […]

The Pelicans are off to a 7-16 start to the campaign, but coach Alvin Gentry isn’t concerned about his job status, Justin Verrier of ESPN.com relays. “I really don’t give a [expletive] about my job status,” Gentry said. “I’m gonna work hard, and I’m gonna coach until the day they tell me I’m not the […]

The Pelicans freed up a roster slot earlier today by waiving Anthony Brown and it appears the team will fill that opening by signing Reggie Williams, Marc Stein of ESPN.com reports (via Twitter). The details of the arrangement are unknown, but it is more than likely a minimum salary pact that includes little or no […]

Update The San Francisco 49ers have made it official and announced their agreement with TE Vance McDonald. “Vance has shown consistent growth throughout his four-year career and his production this season is the result of his dedication and hard work,” said General Manager Trent Baalke. “We believe he has only scratched the surface of what he … The post 49er […]

The Seattle Seahawks officially waived LB Jordan Tripp from injured reserve on Friday with an injury settlement. Tripp, 25, is a former fifth-round pick of the Dolphins back in 2014. He lasted just over a year in Miami before he was waived and later signed to the Jaguars’ practice squad. Jacksonville, unfortunately, cut Tripp loose coming … The post Seahawks […]